Presentation to Ballivor Renaissance Group and community 7 March 2012 Introduction This project was setup in Nov 2011 by a group of 5 local people With backing of local community and ID: 590843
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Slide1
Coolronan Bog Project
Presentation to
Ballivor
Renaissance Group
and community
7 March 2012Slide2
Introduction
This project was setup in
Nov
2011
by
a group of 5 local
people.
With backing of local community and
interested organisations, it is hoped to
commence a bog restoration project
which will target a number of objectivesSlide3
Objective Summary
To
develop a small but specific section of
Bord
Na Mona managed section of Coolronan
bog as an amenity for the
locality
and for
visitors.
Create an area within the bog where native bog plants and wildlife can
flourish
To
develop the heritage aspect of Coolronan bog for the interest of current and former residents of the
area, and for the wider community
Bring some employment and business opportunities to the
localitySlide4
Objective 1
To develop a small but specific section of Bord Na Mona managed section of Coolronan bog as an amenity for the locality and for visitors
.
Coolronan Bog is a raised bog that comprises an area of 7,000 acres approx.
Bord Na Móna have ownership and control of 6,000 acres approx of this
amount.
The project group have commenced discussions with Bord Na Móna and other
organisations to section an area of 150 to 200 acres to allow be developed as
part of a bog restoration project .
It is planned to create walkway / cycleway , lake / wetlands and development
of Cutaway section to start a process to restore this part of the bog to its natural
state. One of the main attractions in this section is the ruin of a house which dates
back to famine times and which was lived in up to the 1950’s
Opportunities for the bog being a facility for school tours , nature trail walks ,
birdwatching etcSlide5
Objective 2
Create an area within the bog where native bog plants and wildlife can flourish
Native plants
: Peat Forming Sphagnum Mosses ,Bog Bean, Deer Antler
Lichen, Butterwort, Sundew, Bog Cotton,, Bell Heather,
Lichens, Cranberries, Bog Asphodel.
Native Animals:
Fox, Hare, Deer, Bat
Native Amphibians
: Otter, Common Frog, Lizard
Native Birds :
Red Grouse, Corncrake, Curlew, Merlin , Lapwing, Hen Harrier,
Skylark, Meadow, Pipit
And many varieties of Invertebrates
: Slugs, Spiders, Moths, and butterflies,
Dragonflies, Damselflies ,BeetlesSlide6
Objective 3
To develop the heritage aspect of Coolronan bog for the interest of current and former residents of the area, and for the wider
community
The group is meeting with some elderly members of the community to recall their recollections of growing up in and around Coolronan bog and their stories will be captured on video and audio tape. These clips will be uploaded on the website
.
These recollections are part of the history of the locality and are invaluable to understand living and working in the bog back in 1940’s and 1950’s.Slide7
Objective 4
Bring some employment and business opportunities to the
locality
If the project can proceed , there is an opportunity
to
support
existing businesses in the locality
eg
Ground work contractors to develop the site .
Also once the site is established shops
, hotels, pubs
,
minibus operators who
would benefit by visitors to the areaSlide8
Activities To Date
Activities to date
include
Project Group Meetings to discuss scope and objectives of project
Initial contact with
Bord
Na
Mona
Create website
www.mwmbogproject.wordpress.com
Creation of membership
cardsSlide9
Other
This project is not intruding on any privately owned parts
of Coolronan bog , only a section of
Bord
Na Mona bog as
previously outlined
Location of bog section proposed as per map next slideSlide10
Ordnance Survey map of Bog Slide11
Planned Activities
Commission an independent Environmental Study / ecological report on the section of bog aquired.
Meet with Irish Peatland Conservation Council
to discuss options for bog restoration
This group is a voluntary body that have carried
out significant research already into the ecological
state of Irish bogs.
Review with local community and interested groups.Slide12
More Planned Activities
Inspect other raised bogs which are now amenity
centres in counties Kildare, Laois, Offaly
Further correspondence with
BNM
Meet RTE environmentalist,
Éanna
Ní
Lamhna
and discuss our
options
with her for promoting Biodiversity in
Coolronan
bog
Meet
with
Dept
of Heritage representatives ; 2012 is special
famine
yearSlide13
Examples of Bog Restoration project
In Abbeyleix Bog in 2009 , BNM worked with local community to restore water levels to promote peat forming vegetation
In Abbeyleix, BNM worked with IPCC (Irish Peatland Conservation council) , IPWS (Irish Parks and Wildlife service) and Laois Heritage on this project. A lease agreement has been put in place with the local community that passes responsibility to local community to manage the bog there.
This is the type of joint initiative that the Coolronan Bog Project has in mind to promote and sustain the bog.Slide14
Functions of a bog
In addition to being a fuel source , bogs have other important functions
filtering water
acting as a water collection basin,
accumulating carbon
providing habitat for flora and fauna.Slide15
General Principles for Bog Restoration
I
dentifying
bogs for preservation through environmental assessment;
Using
careful harvesting techniques so that restoration can
be
readily
achieved
Leaving
at least three feet of peat at the bottom of the
bog
Returning
of harvested bogs to functioning
wetlandsSlide16
Bog Restoration Practical Steps
Surface Preparation
Plant Collection from donor site
Plant Spreading
Straw spreading
Fertilization
Raise water level Slide17
A view from Canada
There are good examples of harvested bogs in Canada where more than one foot of sphagnum moss has re-grown, unaided, during the 10 to 15 years since harvesting has ceased. These bogs look like and provide the functions of virgin bogs
.
Even though Canada does not have peat supply concerns, the industry is looking for ways to accelerate peat bog regeneration. Until recently, peat bogs have been left to regenerate, a process that can take up to 20 years. New research in ways to restore bogs quickly, indicates that time can be shortened to five to eight years.Slide18
Bogs as Carbon Stores
A bog is
the biggest
natural store
of carbon.
Peat
is rich in fossil carbon, removed from the atmosphere by
plants
and accumulated over thousands of years.
Drainage
and destruction of raised bogs results in the rapid
loss
of the stored carbon in the form of greenhouse gases
(
carbon dioxide and methane), as the peat decomposes
.
Kyoto agreement imposes regulations and financial penalties on countries who ignore impact on the environmentSlide19
Effects of Carbon emission
Once a peat bog dries out, it starts emitting carbon by giving off carbon dioxide gas (CO
2
) and methane into the atmosphere, and by releasing it into rivers and streams in the form of dissolved organic carbon (DOC
).
Bogs hold staggering amounts of carbon - estimated at 455
petagrams
, around a third of the world's stock of soil organic carbon
. (1
Petagram
= 1 Billion Metric Tonnes)
If bogs lose more carbon as DOC, this could have serious effects on drinking water supplies. As well as turning water brown, dissolved carbon can interfere with treatment filters and make it more expensive to make water safe to drink.
And if peat bogs become badly degraded, there could also be implications for the risk of flooding.Slide20
Flora and Fauna
Bees
WetlandsSlide21
Amenity Activities
Bird Watching
Bog Tours
Nature Trails
Raised walkways Slide22
Bog Restoration example, Quebec, CanadaSlide23
Bog Restoration Steps &Pics 1Slide24
Bog Restoration Steps & Pics 2Slide25
Bog Restoration Steps & Pics3